FedoraQt · gastoner · Oct 31, 2025
diff --git a/WINDOWS.md b/WINDOWS.md
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ You can build Fedora Media Writer yourself. It has just a few dependencies and b
 ### Dependencies
 
 * `Qt6` (`qtbase`, `qtdeclarative`, `qtsvg` and `qtquickcontrols2`) - already part of the installer
-* `Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable` for C++ (MSVC) runtime libraries
+* `Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable` for C++ (MSVC) runtime libraries - the installer will prompt you to install this if it's not already on your system
 
 ### Steps
 
@@ -42,4 +42,35 @@ make
 
 ### Crosscompilation
 
-There is also the [build.sh](/dist/win/build.sh) script included that I use for building a the installer for distribution on this site. It should do everything automatically if you're in Fedora. There are instructions on how to use it inside at the top of the file
+There is also the [build.sh](/dist/win/build.sh) script included that I use for building a the installer for distribution on this site. It should do everything automatically if you're in Fedora. There are instructions on how to use it inside at the top of the file.
+
+#### Visual C++ Redistributable Installation
+
+The installer handles the [Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable (2015-2022)](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/cpp/windows/latest-supported-vc-redist?view=msvc-170) installation on-demand, which is required for the application to run.
+
+**How it works:**
+1. During installation, the installer checks if VC++ Redistributable is already installed
+2. If not installed, it prompts the user with a Yes/No dialog:
+   ```
+   Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable is not installed on your system.
+
+   It is required for Fedora Media Writer to run properly.
+
+   Would you like to download and install it now? (approximately 25 MB)
+   ```
+3. If the user chooses **"Yes"**:
+   - Downloads `vc_redist.x64.exe` from Microsoft's official servers
+   - Installs it automatically with a progress bar (`/passive` mode)
+   - Cleans up the downloaded file
+4. If the user chooses **"No"**:
+   - Shows a message with a direct download link for manual installation later
+
+**Benefits:**
+- Smaller installer size (no bundled redistributable)
+- Only downloads when needed
+- Always gets the latest version from Microsoft
+- Requires internet connection during installation if VC++ is not already installed
+
+**Manual installation:**
+If you prefer to install it separately or if the download fails, you can download it manually from:
+https://aka.ms/vs/17/release/vc_redist.x64.exe
diff --git a/dist/win/build.sh b/dist/win/build.sh
@@ -207,6 +207,27 @@ fi
 popd >/dev/null
 popd >/dev/null
 
+echo "=== Downloading VC++ Redistributable for bundling"
+VCREDIST_URL="https://aka.ms/vs/17/release/vc_redist.x64.exe"
+VCREDIST_FILE="$SCRIPTDIR/vc_redist.x64.exe"
+
+if [ ! -f "$VCREDIST_FILE" ]; then
+    echo "Downloading Visual C++ Redistributable..."
+    curl -L -o "$VCREDIST_FILE" "$VCREDIST_URL"
+    if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
+        echo "Warning: Failed to download VC++ Redistributable."
+        echo "You can manually download it from: $VCREDIST_URL"
+        echo "Place it at: $VCREDIST_FILE"
+        echo ""
+        echo "Continuing build without bundled VC++ Redistributable..."
+    else
+        echo "VC++ Redistributable downloaded successfully ($(du -h "$VCREDIST_FILE" | cut -f1))"
+    fi
+else
+    echo "VC++ Redistributable already exists at $VCREDIST_FILE ($(du -h "$VCREDIST_FILE" | cut -f1))"
+    echo "Using existing file. Delete it to re-download the latest version."
+fi
+
 echo "=== Composing installer"
 unix2dos < "$ROOTPATH/LICENSE.GPL-2" > "$BUILDPATH/app/release/LICENSE.GPL-2.txt"
 unix2dos < "$ROOTPATH/LICENSE.LGPL-2" > "$BUILDPATH/app/release/LICENSE.LGPL-2.txt"

diff --git a/dist/win/mediawriter.nsi b/dist/win/mediawriter.nsi
@@ -1,4 +1,7 @@
 !include "MUI2.nsh"
+!include LogicLib.nsh
+!include nsDialogs.nsh
+!include WinMessages.nsh
 ManifestDPIAware true
 XPStyle on
 
@@ -18,6 +21,10 @@ XPStyle on
 !define DESCRIPTION       "Tool to write Fedora images to flash drives"
 !define FULLVERSION       "${VERSIONMAJOR}.${VERSIONMINOR}.${VERSIONBUILD}.0"
 
+# VC++ Redistributable configuration
+!define VCREDIST_FILE     "vc_redist.x64.exe"
+!define VCREDIST_URL      "https://aka.ms/vs/17/release/vc_redist.x64.exe"
+
 Name    "${APPNAME}"
 Caption "${APPNAME} ${FULLVERSION}"
 
@@ -87,6 +94,10 @@ Icon "../../src/app/data/icons/mediawriter.ico"
 
 !define MUI_ICON ../../src/app/data/icons/mediawriter.ico
 
+# VC++ Redistributable configuration
+!define VCREDIST_FILE "vc_redist.x64.exe"
+!define VCREDIST_URL "https://aka.ms/vs/17/release/vc_redist.x64.exe"
+
 !insertmacro MUI_PAGE_LICENSE "../../build/app/release/LICENSE.GPL-2.txt"
 !insertmacro MUI_PAGE_DIRECTORY
 !insertmacro MUI_PAGE_INSTFILES
@@ -268,6 +279,12 @@ LangString AdmingRightsRequired ${LANG_TURKISH}              "Admin rights requi
 LangString AdmingRightsRequired ${LANG_UKRAINIAN}            "Admin rights required!"
 LangString AdmingRightsRequired ${LANG_UZBEK}                "Admin rights required!"
 
+LangString VCRedistNotInstalled ${LANG_ENGLISH}             "Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable is not installed on your system.$\n$\nIt is required for ${APPNAME} to run properly.$\n$\nWould you like to download and install it now? (approximately 25 MB)"
+LangString VCRedistDownloading ${LANG_ENGLISH}              "Downloading Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable..."
+LangString VCRedistInstalling ${LANG_ENGLISH}               "Installing Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable..."
+LangString VCRedistDownloadFailed ${LANG_ENGLISH}           "Failed to download Visual C++ Redistributable.$\n$\nPlease check your internet connection and try again,$\nor download it manually from:$\nhttps://aka.ms/vs/17/release/vc_redist.x64.exe"
+LangString VCRedistSkipped ${LANG_ENGLISH}                  "You have chosen to skip the Visual C++ Redistributable installation.$\n$\n${APPNAME} may not work correctly without it.$\n$\nYou can download it manually from:$\nhttps://aka.ms/vs/17/release/vc_redist.x64.exe"
+
 !macro VerifyUserIsAdmin
 UserInfo::GetAccountType
 pop $0
@@ -278,6 +295,44 @@ ${If} $0 != "admin" ;Require admin rights on NT4+
 ${EndIf}
 !macroend
 
+; Function to detect if VC++ Redistributable 2015-2022 is installed
+; Returns: 1 if installed, 0 if not installed (in $R0)
+Function CheckVCRedist
+    Push $0
+    Push $1
+
+    ; Default to not installed
+    StrCpy $R0 "0"
+
+    ClearErrors
+    ; Check the primary registry location for x64 VC++ 2015-2022
+    ReadRegStr $0 HKLM "SOFTWARE\Microsoft\VisualStudio\14.0\VC\Runtimes\x64" "Installed"
+    ${If} $0 == "1"
+        StrCpy $R0 "1"
+        Goto vcredist_check_done
+    ${EndIf}
+
+    ClearErrors
+    ; Check alternative registry location
+    ReadRegStr $0 HKLM "SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\VisualStudio\14.0\VC\Runtimes\x64" "Installed"
+    ${If} $0 == "1"
+        StrCpy $R0 "1"
+        Goto vcredist_check_done
+    ${EndIf}
+
+    ClearErrors
+    ; Check older registry location
+    ReadRegDWORD $1 HKLM "SOFTWARE\Microsoft\DevDiv\VC\Servicing\14.0\RuntimeMinimum" "Install"
+    ${If} $1 == "1"
+        StrCpy $R0 "1"
+        Goto vcredist_check_done
+    ${EndIf}
+
+    vcredist_check_done:
+    Pop $1
+    Pop $0
+FunctionEnd
+
 function .onInit
     !ifdef INNER
 
@@ -291,6 +346,35 @@ function .onInit
 
     setShellVarContext all
     !insertmacro VerifyUserIsAdmin
+
+    ; Prompt user about VC++ Redistributable BEFORE main installation
+    MessageBox MB_YESNO|MB_ICONQUESTION "$(VCRedistNotInstalled)" IDYES install_vcredist_init IDNO skip_vcredist_init
+
+    install_vcredist_init:
+        InitPluginsDir
+        DetailPrint "$(VCRedistInstalling)"
+
+        ; Extract bundled VC++ Redistributable to temp directory
+        File /oname=$TEMP\vcredist_bundled.exe "${VCREDIST_FILE}"
+
+        ; Install VC++ Redistributable with passive UI (shows progress, no interaction)
+        ExecWait '"$TEMP\vcredist_bundled.exe" /install /passive /norestart' $0
+
+        ; Clean up
+        Delete "$TEMP\vcredist_bundled.exe"
+
+        ${If} $0 == 0
+            DetailPrint "VC++ Redistributable installation completed successfully"
+        ${Else}
+            DetailPrint "VC++ Redistributable installation returned code: $0"
+            MessageBox MB_OK|MB_ICONINFORMATION "VC++ Redistributable installation completed (code: $0)"
+        ${EndIf}
+        Goto vcredist_init_done
+
+    skip_vcredist_init:
+        MessageBox MB_OK|MB_ICONINFORMATION "$(VCRedistSkipped)"
+
+    vcredist_init_done:
 functionEnd
 
 section "install"

diff --git a/dist/win/mediawriter_native.nsi b/dist/win/mediawriter_native.nsi
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 !include "MUI2.nsh"
+!include "nsDialogs.nsh"
 ManifestDPIAware true
 XPStyle on
 
@@ -87,6 +88,10 @@ Icon "../../src/app/data/icons/mediawriter.ico"
 
 !define MUI_ICON ../../src/app/data/icons/mediawriter.ico
 
+# VC++ Redistributable configuration
+!define VCREDIST_FILE "vc_redist.x64.exe"
+!define VCREDIST_URL "https://aka.ms/vs/17/release/vc_redist.x64.exe"
+
 !insertmacro MUI_PAGE_LICENSE "../../build/app/release/LICENSE.GPL-2.txt"
 !insertmacro MUI_PAGE_DIRECTORY
 !insertmacro MUI_PAGE_INSTFILES
@@ -268,6 +273,12 @@ LangString AdmingRightsRequired ${LANG_TURKISH}              "Admin rights requi
 LangString AdmingRightsRequired ${LANG_UKRAINIAN}            "Admin rights required!"
 LangString AdmingRightsRequired ${LANG_UZBEK}                "Admin rights required!"
 
+LangString VCRedistNotInstalled ${LANG_ENGLISH}             "Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable is not installed on your system.$\n$\nIt is required for ${APPNAME} to run properly.$\n$\nWould you like to download and install it now? (approximately 25 MB)"
+LangString VCRedistDownloading ${LANG_ENGLISH}              "Downloading Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable..."
+LangString VCRedistInstalling ${LANG_ENGLISH}               "Installing Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable..."
+LangString VCRedistDownloadFailed ${LANG_ENGLISH}           "Failed to download Visual C++ Redistributable.$\n$\nPlease check your internet connection and try again,$\nor download it manually from:$\nhttps://aka.ms/vs/17/release/vc_redist.x64.exe"
+LangString VCRedistSkipped ${LANG_ENGLISH}                  "You have chosen to skip the Visual C++ Redistributable installation.$\n$\n${APPNAME} may not work correctly without it.$\n$\nYou can download it manually from:$\nhttps://aka.ms/vs/17/release/vc_redist.x64.exe"
+
 !macro VerifyUserIsAdmin
 UserInfo::GetAccountType
 pop $0
@@ -278,6 +289,44 @@ ${If} $0 != "admin" ;Require admin rights on NT4+
 ${EndIf}
 !macroend
 
+; Function to detect if VC++ Redistributable 2015-2022 is installed
+; Returns: 1 if installed, 0 if not installed (in $R0)
+Function CheckVCRedist
+    Push $0
+    Push $1
+
+    ; Default to not installed
+    StrCpy $R0 "0"
+
+    ClearErrors
+    ; Check the primary registry location for x64 VC++ 2015-2022
+    ReadRegStr $0 HKLM "SOFTWARE\Microsoft\VisualStudio\14.0\VC\Runtimes\x64" "Installed"
+    ${If} $0 == "1"
+        StrCpy $R0 "1"
+        Goto vcredist_check_done
+    ${EndIf}
+
+    ClearErrors
+    ; Check alternative registry location
+    ReadRegStr $0 HKLM "SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\VisualStudio\14.0\VC\Runtimes\x64" "Installed"
+    ${If} $0 == "1"
+        StrCpy $R0 "1"
+        Goto vcredist_check_done
+    ${EndIf}
+
+    ClearErrors
+    ; Check older registry location
+    ReadRegDWORD $1 HKLM "SOFTWARE\Microsoft\DevDiv\VC\Servicing\14.0\RuntimeMinimum" "Install"
+    ${If} $1 == "1"
+        StrCpy $R0 "1"
+        Goto vcredist_check_done
+    ${EndIf}
+
+    vcredist_check_done:
+    Pop $1
+    Pop $0
+FunctionEnd
+
 function .onInit
     !ifdef INNER
 
@@ -291,6 +340,35 @@ function .onInit
 
     setShellVarContext all
     !insertmacro VerifyUserIsAdmin
+
+    ; Prompt user about VC++ Redistributable BEFORE main installation
+    MessageBox MB_YESNO|MB_ICONQUESTION "$(VCRedistNotInstalled)" IDYES install_vcredist_init IDNO skip_vcredist_init
+
+    install_vcredist_init:
+        InitPluginsDir
+        DetailPrint "$(VCRedistInstalling)"
+
+        ; Extract bundled VC++ Redistributable to temp directory
+        File /oname=$TEMP\vcredist_bundled.exe "${VCREDIST_FILE}"
+
+        ; Install VC++ Redistributable with passive UI (shows progress, no interaction)
+        ExecWait '"$TEMP\vcredist_bundled.exe" /install /passive /norestart' $0
+
+        ; Clean up
+        Delete "$TEMP\vcredist_bundled.exe"
+
+        ${If} $0 == 0
+            DetailPrint "VC++ Redistributable installation completed successfully"
+        ${Else}
+            DetailPrint "VC++ Redistributable installation returned code: $0"
+            MessageBox MB_OK|MB_ICONINFORMATION "VC++ Redistributable installation completed (code: $0)"
+        ${EndIf}
+        Goto vcredist_init_done
+
+    skip_vcredist_init:
+        MessageBox MB_OK|MB_ICONINFORMATION "$(VCRedistSkipped)"
+
+    vcredist_init_done:
 functionEnd
 
 section "install"